Save your money for something good and enjoyable

Powerful

Entertaining from beginning to end, it maintains the spirit of the franchise while establishing it's own seal with a fun cast

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

Anything with Errol Flynn should get a decent rating because at the minimum you get his charm and laid back way for a couple of hours. Hey, its always a nice way to pass the time and watch a subject matter come alive on screen. Here, we visit the Wild West but not before we get a taste of Custer's start-up life, love and a few experiences. From there, we are treated to entertaining events that has us rooting for the star and we follow him with interest right to the end. Hollywood did take liberties with the subject matter but that's what they do. For history and details as well as facts, Hollywood might not be the best source. Enjoy shots of the West, cities, buildings, Indians, Forts and all the neat Western type stuff while you munch on a sandwich with a tasty drink. BTW, if you like onions with your meal, this movie is for you with appropriate scenes.

Movie makers in 1941 were not interested in giving history lessons, they wanted good characters and lots of action, and this movie delivers both. Errol Flynn was already a well-established swashbuckler when he made this film for Warner Brothers, the last of eight he made with co-star Olivia de Havilland. Custer's comical arrival at West Point is designed for humor, and his record is still an example of what not to do, but no one ever accused Custer of being stupid. He was undisciplined, a prankster, and inattentive to duty, but whenever he came close to being dismissed from the academy, he would straighten up and have a perfect record the rest of the year. He was also one of the academy's most popular cadets, which the movie does a good job of showing. The movie also shows Custer's aggressiveness and success during the Civil War, where he was rightly considered a national hero at age 23. Unlike most generals, Custer did not lead his men from a headquarters, he rode at the front and shared the dangers with his men, who had universal respect for him. It was not until Custer went west, forced to command troops that refused to obey orders and often deserted, that his reputation suffered, and the movie also reflects this transition though in a fictional manner. The Little Big Horn battle is exciting from a movie point of view but is wildly fictional. None of the complexities, tactics or conflicting personalities that guided the battle are dealt with in the movie. What They Died With Their Boots On does best is show Custer's charismatic personality, which Flynn is perfect for. In his lifetime, Custer was considered a generous, honorable and courageous man. Yes, he could be cantankerous and had an ego (so did General George Patton and General Douglas McArthur), but the vision of him as an Indian-hating egomaniac is really a process of 1960s political revisionism, usually propagated by those who get their history lessons from bad television shows. Custer was an officer of the United States Army, and when he went into the field, it was on the orders of U.S. Government, not because he decided to go out and attack Indians. Errol Flynn does a wonderful job of showing Custer from several different viewpoints: glory seeking soldier, loving husband, loyal friend, and a man with a conscience. What this movie lacks in historical accuracy is made up for by capturing the spirit of its characters.

Little Big Horn -- Hollywood style. The life (and death) of George Armstrong Custer, as played by Errol Flynn. The movie starts with his time as a cadet at West Point and ends you-know-where. Flynn has an easy job as he basically portrays Custer as a brash, cocky, charming man of action who's good with the ladies and his fists. So it's pretty much Errol Flynn playing himself. But damned if he's not fun to watch. The history may be bunk but that's what books are for. This is pure "Grand Old Hollywood" entertainment and I love it! As I said, Errol's lots of fun. Olivia de Havilland plays his love interest. She never looked prettier. This is the last film Errol and Olivia did together. Their chemistry is perfect, as usual. Anthony Quinn plays Crazy Horse. Yeah, you read that right. Fine supporting cast includes Arthur Kennedy, Sydney Greenstreet, John Litel, Charley Grapewin, and Hattie McDaniel. Rousing Max Steiner score and excellent Raoul Walsh direction. A headache for history buffs perhaps but an exciting movie for everybody else. It's got romance, action, drama, comedy -- all the biggies. Flynn fans should love it.

Interesting portrayal of George Armstrong Custer and culminating in an exciting mise-en-scene of the famous battle , Little Big Horn , being his last stand . The film centers about general Custer (Errol Flynn) and wife (Olivia De Havilland), though takes liberties with historical facts . George Armstrong Custer's career begins when is graduated in the known Military Academy of West Point and after that, he intervened in American Civil War where detaches in battle of Gettysburg . General Sheridan (John Litel) and Lt. Gen. Winfield Scott (Sydney Greenstreet) assign him the command a regiment at Fort Abraham Lincoln . In 1869 Custer and his 7th Cavalry carried out the massacre of River Washita where one hundred Indians and their chief Black Kettle were murdered (though these events don't appear in screen) . Officers will help him to face off Indians with the warring chiefs Dull Knife ,Sitting Bull, and Crazy Horse (Anthony Quinn) and their tribes Sioux , Cheyenne, the Awpahla and the Munikhanja until the final battle of Little Big Horn (1876) recreated Hollywood style where was exterminated with his entire command . The actual deeds were the followings : The reality happened in December 1873 when the Commissioner of Indian Affairs directed all Sioux bands to enter reservations by the end of January 1876 or be declared hostile . Many bands of Sioux did not meet this deadline and were attacked by US troops . Crazy Horse and his Oglala people moved north to join forces with Sitting Bull , by the spring of 1876 some 3000 Teton Sioux and Northern Cheyenne warriors had assembled at Sitting Bull's camp in the valley of the Little Big Horn in Montana. On 25 June 1876 Crazy Horse and other war chiefs led the allied warriors against General Custer and his seventh Cavalry, Custer and all the man under his direct command were killed . This victory , however , brought relentless retaliation from the army and Sioux were scattered .This rousing as well as thrilling movie well produced by Hal B. Wallis blends good action scenes , shootouts , adventures , humor , magnificently staged battles and it's quite amusing because happens many deeds and is fast moving and for that reason is neither boring , nor dreary , but entertaining . George Armstrong Custer's complex characterization with an unusual point of view is well performed by Errol Flynn who does a nice embodiment of this Western hero . Errol interpretation as a hippie-type , long-haired guy is top notch ; he is an obstinate , valiant General fighting Indians and red tape with equal dash . Sensational duo protagonist , Errol Flynn-Olivia de Havilland ; this was the eighth and their final film pairing . The exciting final confrontation between Custer army and Indians is spellbound and breathtaking . The filming of the "Last Stand" sequence from this movie involved some 200 horsemen charging around in pretend battle and was so dangerous that one day during filming Anthony Quinn, who played Crazy Horse, arranged as a gag for a hearse to show up at the filming location . However , a total of three men were killed during the cavalry charge scene. In the montage of battle scenes which show the Seventh Cavalry taming the frontier when they operated out of Fort Lincoln are several shots of them which will be repeated during the Little Big Horn battle. The film obtained a big success thanks to important budget , enjoyable acting , fast-pace and spectacular sets . Bert Glennon's cinematography is glowing and fascinating ; being photographed in black and white , the battle scenarios are overwhelming , this is the best of the film . Splendidly staged battles with obligatory cast of hundreds is realized by a lot of art directors . Sensitive as well as spectacular musical score by maestro Max Steiner , including the famous song ¨Garry Owen¨ . Masterfully realized by Raoul Walsh , it remains one of the screen's more majestic epic Westerns . The motion picture will appeal to biopic enthusiasts and Western buffs.Other adaptations about this historic character culminating in thrilling battle of Little Big Horn are the followings : ¨Santa Fe trail¨ by Michael Curtiz with Ronald Reagan as Custer ; ¨Sitting Bull¨ by Sidney Salkow with Dale Roberston , J.Carrol Naish , and Douglas Kennedy as Custer , ¨Great massacre Sioux¨ by Sidney Salkow with Philip Carey as Custer and Iron Eyes Cody as Crazy Horse ; Custer of the West¨ by Robert Siodmak with Robert Shaw , Mary Ure , Ty Hardin and Robert Ryan , ¨Little Big Man¨ by Arthur Penn with Richard Mulligan as Custer ; ¨Son of the morning star¨ TV miniseries by Mike Robe with Rossana Arquette and Gary Cole as Colonel Custer .